What was before Windows 95?
The release of Windows 95 in August 1995 marked a significant milestone in the history of personal computing. It was the first operating system from Microsoft to feature a start button, taskbar, and desktop, making it much more user-friendly than its predecessors. But what was the computing landscape like before the advent of Windows 95? Let’s take a look back at the world of personal computers in the years leading up to this iconic milestone.
MS-DOS and the Early Days of Personal Computing
Before Windows 95, the dominant operating system for personal computers was MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System). Introduced in 1981, MS-DOS was a command-line interface that required users to type commands to perform tasks. It was a far cry from the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that would soon become the norm.
MS-DOS was often paired with the popular operating system from IBM, PC-DOS, and was used on a variety of hardware platforms, including the IBM PC, compatibles, and the Apple II. Users had to navigate through directories and type in commands like “dir” to list files or “copy” to copy files from one location to another.
Windows 3.x: The Transition to GUIs
As MS-DOS began to show its age, Microsoft introduced the first versions of Windows, which provided a graphical user interface for MS-DOS users. The first version, Windows 1.0, was released in 1985, but it was not widely adopted due to its limited functionality and the requirement of MS-DOS to run it.
The next versions, Windows 2.x and Windows 3.x, were more successful, providing a more intuitive GUI that allowed users to interact with their computers using a mouse and windows. These versions included features like the start menu, taskbar, and desktop, which would later become staples of Windows operating systems.
Competing Operating Systems: Apple’s Macintosh and Amiga
While Microsoft was developing Windows, other companies were also working on their own operating systems. Apple’s Macintosh operating system, which was introduced in 1984, was one of the first to offer a GUI and was popular among graphic designers and artists.
Another notable competitor was Commodore’s Amiga operating system, which was known for its advanced graphics and sound capabilities. The Amiga operating system was used in a variety of applications, from video games to professional video editing.
Conclusion
Before Windows 95, the personal computing landscape was dominated by MS-DOS and its graphical counterparts like Windows 3.x. Competing operating systems like Apple’s Macintosh and Commodore’s Amiga also played a role in shaping the future of personal computing. The release of Windows 95 marked the beginning of a new era, where GUIs became the standard and personal computing became more accessible to the masses.
